George Bush: Worst American president in history

[Betsyjane 2]

I have a friend who I consider to be successful in every way. From nothing, she now has virtually unlimited wealth, a wonderful marriage, kids that I adore, generosity of spirit, deep faith.... and she says a big part of all of it is that she doesn't pay any attention or put any energy toward things she can't change. She doesn't watch TV or read the news or involve herself in political discussions. In fact, she never knows current events, unless she's checking to see if a country is relatively safe for travel. She gives away 40% of everything she earns. She's a good person, living well. I mention her as food for thought. I sometimes wonder what change my life would have if I focused only on positives and changeables and didn't put energy into things like this thread. I am drawn to political discussion and angst.....

[Chris S. - L.I. 0]

Betsy Jane,

I am curious if you know if she is a Democrat or a Republican.

Chris

PS I am so sick of this thread.

[BJean 16]

I liked Bill Clinton's politics and the way he conducted the business as the President. His personal conflicts and behavior behind closed doors was a good thing for me to learn about. I hated the way it all went down. However as a young person, my parents always taught us that adopting a high set of moral standards was paramount to our long-term success in the world. That may not be so true today, but it is true at least to some extent.

Back then during the cold war (which I prefer to the hot war), there was plenty of reason for politicians and our president in particular, to be pure as the driven snow. It was not unusual for someone in politics to be blackmailed by agents of our enemies if they had a skeleton in their closet.

Realizing that the leader of our country, President Clinton, was willing to state publicly that he didn't have sexual relations with Monica, when he had, was admitting that if someone who had the position and power to blackmail him, he might have bent under that pressure. As it turned out he put himself and the office of the presidency in peril because the Republicans were willing to do anything to get him removed from office. It was a very unfortunate thing for our country and it was damaging to the presidency.

There are several books and it has been discussed on various open forums about the affairs of past presidents, going all the way back to Dwight Eisenhower. Who knows what compromises were made back then if, or when, one of those powerful men was threatened with exposure.

Today we have a religious leader who wielded enormous influence in right wing political circles, exposed for purchasing illegal drugs from a Gay friend of his - both things that he railed against. And a Republican congressman who was found to be sending obscene messages to young men.

Barney Frank, on the other hand, who lives an alternative (Gay) lifestyle, but who makes no apologies for it and has been open about it and who hasn't been compromised or exposed and who probably can't be blackmailed or coerced - at least with regard to his sex life - is a much preferable person to have in office.

We have every right to ask our politicians to be of high moral standards. It should be a requirement of any position of power. But the fact is, almost every human being has some flaw somewhere that could be exploited. Probably the best we can do is to support those we feel can do a good job and who seem to have a pure heart. And then we just hope for the best.

Personally I believe that Bill Clinton got us into less trouble thinking with his penis than this President has thinking with his so-called brain.

[Carlene 12]

PS I am so sick of this thread.

It is perfectly alright to ignore a thread, especially if it makes you ill. I promise, no one will hold it against you. Complaining about the thread by posting to it...well, that's something else.

[Carlene 12]

Personally I believe that Bill Clinton got us into less trouble thinking with his penis than this President has thinking with his so-called brain.

Oh, absolutely! Like I said....only enough blood to operate one at a time.

[BJean 16]

Betsyjane: Most everyone can function quite well in this country without engaging anyone in discussion about politics and without reading the news or watching the news on TV.

How much did 9/11 really affect most of us? Emotionally, after watching it over and over and being haunted by the images and being frightened to death about terrorists and our enemies taking over this country, it affected us a lot. But in real terms, about the only way it has impacted most of our daily lives is when we board an airplane. A few thousand people were killed, more were indirectly affected by those deaths, but the country as a whole is inhabited by millions and life has gone on in a practical way that is very much like it went on before those attacks.

You just have to decide how important politics is to your daily life and your sense of well being. I consider this place an educational opportunity for me. And I read each post and know that everyone has his or her own biased opinion. That's part of the fun of it and part of the challenge of using it to help me learn how my fellow Americans perceive the world around us. A forum like this shouldn't be taken so seriously that it is disturbing. After all, anyone can write anything here and we have to remember that not everyone is sincere or well-informed.

[Carlene 12]

There are several books and it has been discussed on various open forums about the affairs of past presidents, going all the way back to Dwight Eisenhower. Who knows what compromises were made back then if, or when, one of those powerful men was threatened with exposure.

Sexual misbehavior in the presidential office goes all the way back to Thomas Jefferson - at the very least. Not to mention members of congress and other high-ranking officials. To name a few...

Grover Cleveland

Warren Harding

Eisenhower

FDR

JFK

J Edgar Hoover

Strom Thurmond

Dan Burton ®, Congressman (Burton, who once called Clinton a “scumbag”, admitted during the 1998 proceedings against Clinton that he had an extramarital affair and fathered a child out of wedlock when he was a state senator in the 1980s. Burton said on PBS, “This is something that happened a long time ago.....The boy and the mother and my wife and my family and I have all reached an agreement about this a long time ago.”

Newt Gingrich

Nelson Rockefeller

Henry Hyde ® (Hyde, who chaired the committee responsible for investigating the Clinton/Lewinsky affair, had an affair of his own for about five years with the married Cherie Snodgrass. Hyde, who was in his 40s and a married Illinois state representative with four kids when he had the affair, didn’t deny the relationship. But he said, “The statute of limitations has long since passed on my youthful indiscretions.”

[beachgirl 2]

The Newsweek poll alleges that 67 percent of Americans are unhappy with the direction the country is headed and 69 percent of the country is unhappy with the performance of the president. In essence 2/3s of the citizenry just ain't happy and want a change.

So being the knuckle dragger I am, I starting thinking, ''What we are so unhappy about?''

Is it that we have electricity and running Water 24 hours a day, 7 days a week? Is our unhappiness the result of having air conditioning in the summer and heating in the winter? Could it be that 95.4 percent of these unhappy folks have a job? Maybe it is the ability to walk into a grocery store at any time and see more food in moments than Darfur has seen in the last year?

Maybe it is the ability to drive from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean without having to present identification papers as we move through each state? Or possibly the hundreds of clean and safe motels we would find along the way that can provide temporary shelter? I guess having thousands of restaurants with varying cuisine from around the world is just not good enough. Or could it be that when we wreck our car, emergency workers show up and provide services to help all involved. Whether you are rich or poor they treat your wounds and even, if necessary, send a helicopter to take you to the hospital.

Perhaps you are one of the 70 percent of Americans who own a home, you may be upset with knowing that in the unfortunate case of having a fire, a group of trained firefighters will appear in moments and use top notch equipment to extinguish the flames thus saving you, your family and your belongings. Or if, while at home watching one of your many flat screen TVs, a burglar or prowler intrudes; an officer equipped with a gun and a bullet-proof vest will come to defend you and your family against attack or loss. This all in the backdrop of a neighborhood free of bombs or militias raping and pillaging the residents. Neighborhoods where 90 percent of teenagers own cell phones and computers.

How about the complete religious, social and political freedoms we enjoy that are the envy of everyone in the world? Maybe that is what has 67 percent of you folks unhappy.

Fact is, we are the largest group of ungrateful, spoiled brats the world has ever seen. No wonder the world loves the U.S. yet has a great disdain for its citizens. They see us for what we are. The most blessed people in the world who do nothing but complain about what we don't have and what we hate about the country instead of thanking the good Lord we live here.

I know, I know. What about the president who took us into war and has no plan to get us out? The president who has a measly 31 percent approval rating? Is this the same president who guided the nation in the dark days after 9/11? The president that cut taxes to bring an economy out of recession? Could this be the same guy who has been called every name in the book for succeeding in keeping all the spoiled brats safe from terrorist attacks? The commander in chief of an all-volunteer army that is out there defending you and me?

Make no mistake about it. The troops in Iraq and Afghanistan have volunteered to serve, and in many cases have died for your freedom. There is currently no draft in this country. They didn't have to go. They are able to refuse to go and end up with either a ''general'' discharge, an ''other than honorable'' discharge or, worst case scenario, a ''dishonorable'' discharge after a few days in the brig.

So why then the flat out discontentment in the minds of 69 percent of Americans? Say what you want but I blame it on the media. If it bleeds it leads and they specialize in bad news. Everybody will watch a car crash with blood and guts. How many will watch kids selling lemonade at the corner? The media knows this and media outlets are for-profit corporations. They offer what sells. Just ask why they are going to allow a murderer like O.J Simpson to write a book and do a TV special about how he didn't kill his wife but if he did . insane!

Stop buying the negative venom you are fed everyday by the media. Shut off the TV, burn Newsweek, and use the New York Times for the bottom of your bird cage. Then start being grateful for all we have as a country. There is exponentially more good than bad.

I close with one of my favorite quotes from B.C Forbes in 1953:

''What have Americans to be thankful for? More than any other people on the earth, we enjoy complete religious freedom, political freedom, social freedom. Our liberties are sacredly safeguarded by the Constitution of the United States, 'the most wonderful work ever struck off at a given time by the brain and purpose of man.' Yes, we Americans of today have been bequeathed a noble heritage. Let us pray that we may hand it down unsullied to our children and theirs.''

I suggest we sit back and count our blessings for all we have. If we don't, what we have will be taken away. Then we will have to explain to future generations why we squandered such blessing and abundance. If we are not careful this generation will be known as the ''greediest and most ungrateful generation.'' A far cry from the proud Americans of the ''greatest generation'' who left us an untarnished legacy.

[Betsyjane 2]

We do have it pretty pretty easy in this country compared to some others, and I'm grateful for that. I would also like for us to head in an ethical, moral, healthy direction, as good stewards of what we do have. And I don't think we've been heading that way. I think the media is only a small piece but persistent of the problem. I don't experience us as being seen as brats overseas. I mostly hear about us as being a declining world power.

[Carlene 12]

That was a nice, long, flag-waving speech, Sherri but what does it have to do with George Bush? He didn't write the constitution, nor does he get credit for air conditioning, the US highway system, or the stock on hand at the local Kroger store.

You're right...Americans should be thankful for the lifestyle we lead, but we owe no thanks to George Bush for any of it - except maybe the budget crisis we will be dealing with long after he has gone.

So send Mr. Bush all the bouquets you want, but leave my name off the card. I owe that man NOTHING.

[beachgirl 2]

Well, everyone is entitled to they're opinion. I suggest everyone watching the World Trade Center or United 93 and think well, we all wanted to do something that day, put up our flags and said we'll get you saddum and now lots of soldiers are losing they're lifes and it's so easy to say, It's that damn President. Well, I admire him for standing up and not hiding like Clinton did. If they did it on 9/11 and you just say oh well, hopefully they won't do it again, that's just plain wrong. Our budget is better than it's been since Carter. He got us in a real jam financially and now we're in great shape compared to then, let's just see where we're at in 8 more years after the democrats have had a hold of things, I promise you, it won't be good. I guess when abortion is finally the only way to go, and gays and lesbians and the go and legally in everystate the go then we'll be where the democrats wanted us to be. Just mho and we're all entitled to that.

[Carlene 12]

Our national debt, as of 12/17/2006

The estimated population of the United States is 300,489,941

so each citizen's share of this debt is $28,803.07. The National Debt has continued to increase an average of

$1.87 billion per day since September 29, 2006!

Now let's compare...

May 1, 2000

Web posted at: 5:13 p.m. EDT (2113 GMT)

WASHINGTON (CNN) - President Bill Clinton said Monday that the United States would pay off $216 billion in debt this year, bringing to $355 billion the amount of the nation's debt paid down in the three years since the government balanced the budget and began running surpluses.

In a written statement, Clinton said the $216 billion payment represented the largest debt paydown in American history, and he said that the federal government's long-term debt is now $2.4 trillion lower than projected to be when he first took office.

However, the U.S. government still has a long way to go before it pays down the entire national debt, which now stands at $5.7 trillion.

And the winner is.....

NOT George Bush!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Carlene 12]

Well, everyone is entitled to they're opinion.

Yes, everyone is entitled to his/her opinion. However, facts are facts....and Iraq had ZERO to do with 9/11. That's a fact. Most of the terrorists responsible for 9/11 were Saudi nationals. But we invaded Iraq. Close, but not the same country.

And, if I may point this out, when Bill Clinton authorized US troops to bomb Iraq, the Republicans came unglued! He was accused of "wagging the dog". He was deemed a "madman" who was "leading us into war". Now the Republicans are calling him a coward for not doing more. Amazing!

[Kathi W 0]

Originally Posted by mousecrazy

What I see here is a climate of "tolerance" meaning conservatives and supporters of America must accept liberals and American fault-finders, while the reverse is rarely ever true.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ROFL...so Ms Mouse..are you saying that 'conservatives' are 'supporters of America" but 'progressives' are not. You are a funny little one...condescending and totally off base...but funny.....

[Betsyjane 2]

I'm interested, Sherri. In what ways do you see the budget as being better than since Carter?